The Ice Prince
by myztik
Summary: It's their 7th year. Malfoy is still the infuriating jerk he has always been, or maybe even more. But Hermione sees something in him, even when he rejects her friendship. Will she be able to succeed in thawing out the ice of the Ice Prince? Hr/D
1. Black, Black Heart

**Chapter 1: Black, Black Heart**

She could feel it upon her - steel and cold just as his heart probably was. They were roaming all over her body in fervent fury. They were light silver orbs filled with hatred. Uncomfortable all over, she looked up and stared into them. 

Draco Malfoy, the silver-blonde Slytherin, stared back at her with yet the still icy, cold, hoary eyes. It was as if a challenge was being held between them. But she couldn't take it. The boy was just too unfeeling and remote - she wasn't like that. She was warm and tender and so unlike him. She couldn't bear looking into those silver spheres knowing that within them lay void darkness – nothing but a black heart. She looked down – pride washed away. She lost their little game. 

But as she twirled her chestnut curls around her fingers, she could feel his icy glare still upon her. She squirmed in her seat.

"You okay, Hermione?" asked her best friend Harry Potter, seated beside her in the Gryffindor table inside the Great Hall that evening. "You look a bit pale."

"What?" she said absentmindedly.

"Are you alright?" asked Ron Weasley, her other best friend who was seated across her, as he shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Yeah, I'm alright," she muttered quietly as she took a tiny sip off her pumpkin juice.

Harry and Ron turned to look at one another dubiously, obviously not believing her answer. But sensing that she wanted to keep it private, Harry and Ron said nothing (for now).

_________________________

Draco frowned despite his obvious victory against the mudblood, Hermione Granger. It was a new year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was his seventh and last year. But even though it was a new school year, things seemed to be as they always been – ancient. And frankly, Draco was getting quite tired of it. He was sick and tired of Crabbe and Goyle, the two very loyal members of his entourage. He was just as sick and just as tired of Pansy Parkinson, the whining Slytherin witch. He was tired of the same old school, same old classrooms and same old stupid teachers. But most of all, he was sick and tired of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley And Hermione Granger. 

He hated the way they laughed, he hated the way they smiled at one another, and he hated the way the talked. So every year, since the day they all arrived at Hogwarts, he tried his best to make it a living hell for them. And he nearly succeeds at doing so every single year. But even as he torments and taunts the three Gryffindors, he found no satisfaction, for he realized that he even hated the way they cried, they way they shouted and the way they were tempted to hurt or kill him. There was no escape.

________________________

Hermione licked her lips as she finished the food on her plate. She was about to ask Harry if he had done some advance reading for the new term when Professor McGonagall tapped her glass goblet with her spoon. Hermione looked up just as the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, said, "Announcement, students." Hermione decided to postpone her question for Harry, but then again, knowing how Harry and Ron was she decided against asking the question at all, they probably didn't even touch a book during their summer vacation. 

"As we all know," Professor Dumbledore continued. "A new term calls for a new Head Boy and Girl. And after a tough and grueling debate we, the other professors and I, have come to a decision as to who our Head Boy and Girls would be.

"Our new Head Boy is a smart and witty seventh year. An excellent student, he specifically excels in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, and Flying. In fact, he is one of the best Quidditch players Hogwarts has ever seen, thought not the best.

"Our new Head Girl, on the other hand, is intelligent and brave. One of our top students in Hogwarts, she does extremely well in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Tranfiguration, Arithmancy and Charms, if not all of her subjects. She is one of the smartest we have ever seen for ages.

"Students, our new Head Boy and Girl are Mr Draco Malfoy and Ms Hermione Granger, respectively. Draco, Hermione, please come to my office after settling in for some instructions.

"Now that that has been said, and you all have been filled with food and drinks, I wish you all the luck in this new term, and so flittlewack, gibberlatt, and fwank."

As Dumbledore said his last words, he and the professors tidied themselves up and headed for their quarters, although some stayed behind to watch over the students and catch up on summer news.

All around the Great Hall friendly chatter resumed as the students finished off the last of their meals and started to drift around greeting friends they haven't seen over the break. But for Harry, Ron and Hermione, it was as if the world had been halted to a dead stop. They just stared at each other, agape. It took much of their energy to digest the news. Hermione was Head Girl. That was good, it was even perhaps, expected. But Draco Malfoy, Head Boy? What was the world coming to? But worse, how was Hermione to handle the Slytherin boy who thought himself to be above everyone else. The same lad who had been emotionally torturing Hermione for the past six years. It was just too much to bear.

Then they heard someone speak from behind them. "Don't think I'm not in shock, too," Malfoy said in his usual drawl. "Wait till my Father hears about this - a mudblood, Head Girl? Tsk, tsk tsk."

Ron swiftly stood up, knocking over his empty goblet, and shouted, "Sod off Malfoy or I'll…"

"You'll what Weasley?" Malfoy asked menacingly. "Knock me over in the head with your Shooting Star? What your family's still too poor to afford even the old Nimbus 2000? Not even a Cleansweep 7?"

Ron was red with anger and embarrassment as well. He was on the edge, the fervor inside him enough for him to hurt Malfoy enough to make him unconscious. But Harry held him back.

"And you, Potter, think about it," Malfoy drawled as he turned to glower at Harry. "You could have been my ally. We could have ruled the school. But no, you're too stupid to face reality and face power, so you chose these pitiful people instead. How dumb can you get?"

"I don't need an ally Malfoy. No one does, except in war," said Harry. "But there is no war. Not right now. And right now what I need are friends. Something you've never had, and something I doubt you'll ever find. And if ever I do need an ally, I won't go looking for that in you either, that be like looking for good in something of total evil. You're void of everything clean and nice. There is no ally in you."

"You'll regret you ever said that, Potter," Malfoy whispered forebodingly. Then he left in a light swagger with his entourage in trail.

_________________________


	2. Civil War

**The Ice Prince**

**Chapter 2:  Civil War**

Hermione nibbled on her nails as she waited for the Headmaster to appear.  She was seated on a red velveteen armchair.  And just a few feet away from her, seated on a silver satin couch, was Draco Malfoy looking grim and surly. Hermione knew that Malfoy was smart and ranked quite high in the list of honor students (Hermione being the highest, o' course!), but she didn't really expect him to become Head Boy. 

Finally, Professor Dumbledore descended the flight of stairs that spiraled from the ceiling.  What was up there, no one really knew.  "Welcome, Hermione, Draco, and congratulations on being the new Head Girl and Boy.  First things first," said the Headmaster as he took his seat behind his large mahogany table. "You are expected to uphold the ideal status of a Head Boy and Girl.  We both know that you two are the best in school, and we expect that to be kept up.  And, I know it will be hard for the both of you to grasp, but you have to cooperate.  

"Being the leaders of this school, you will help the Professors and I in handling things around here and making sure things go smoothly.  And this will only be possible if you overcome your differences and act civil to one another," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his mischievous gray eyes.  

Draco slouched further into his seat and huffed out his frustration.  Hermione, meanwhile, looked at the Headmaster as though he had totally lost all sanity.  He must be mad to actually expect them to be civil to one another!

"I guess that will be all.  Oh! And wait for further instructions if something comes up," he continued.  

Just as Hermione and Draco stood up to leave with a "Yes, Headmaster," Professor Dumbledore called out to them, "Mr Filch will be waiting for you outside to take you two the Heads' Common Room."

Hermione and Draco looked at stared agape at each other in utter shock.  They have to share a Common Room! Worst, it'll only be the two of them down there…

_"This is going to be sheer, downright hell,"_ Hermione thought to herself, quietly praying that this was just a bad dream and any moment now she'd wake up back in her home just south of Surrey, and find out that there was still a week before classes start.  But as she followed Mr Filch to the Common Room, she realized that this was no dream.  Bruises started to appear on her arm where she had been pinching herself in order for her to wake up from the nightmare.

When they finally reached a huge portrait of Simon the Brave, a huge burly man wearing an ivory colored robe with matching wizard's hat, Filch muttered the password, which was "teamwork".  Once inside, Hermione stood in awe as she absorbed the beauty and grandeur of the Common Room.  The walls were colored blue, not just any blue but _every_ hue of blue you could imagine was present - and it was enchanted.  It seemed as if it were water cascading down the walls.  It was exquisite.  

In the center of the room were about a dozen different colored, shaped, sized chairs.  Some were armchairs, others couch, and one, a loveseat – there was even a beanbag that resembled a Snitch.  

Off to one side of the room was a large oak table for studying or eating or whatever they needed a table for.  And behind the table stood a huge antique wooden shelf filled with books of all kinds.  Hermione smiled to herself, now she wouldn't have to go to the library to read or research, she had everything she needed right there in the Common Room.

On the other side of the room were three doors.  The left most one displayed the Slytherin House emblem.  The right most one held the Gryffindor House insignia.  The middle one had the Hogwarts School crest on it.

Then Filch said to the, "You see the three doors?  Obviously, the one with the Slytherin symbol is Mr Malfoy room, the one with the Gryffindor one is Ms Granger's and the middle one is the bathroom.  Now, I have to leave before that stupid, no good poltergeist, Peeves, comes up with another no good prank.  C'mon Mrs Norris."  Then with a nudge of his foot into the rear of his beloved cat, they strode of into the dark corridor.

Hermione just remained standing, taking in the beauty of the entire room.  

"You look stupid staring at the walls like that.  It's not like you have never seen an enchanted object before," drawled Draco who was comfortably seated in a forest green armchair looking all smug and arrogant.

"Quit it Malfoy," said Hermione. "All you put downs will get you nowhere.  And besides, we have to act civil, remember?"

"Whatever you say, mudblood," sneered Draco.  "But in Dumbledore and your own words, we have to _act _civil.  Act being the keyword."

"Fine," riposted Hermione as she turned to head to her room.  "Do whatever you want to do Malfoy."

"You know I bloody will, mudblood."

_________________________

            "How do you think Hermione's doing?" asked Ron as he and Harry just finished a round of wizard's chess, the winner obviously being Ron.

            "I dunno, Ron," muttered Harry in a sleepy voice.  "But I sure do hope she's alright."

            "Yeah…"

            "She'll be alright," Harry said.  "You know how she is, our Hermione, she may be stubborn as a mule, but she can defend her own when she needs to."

"Bloody head strong that girl is," agreed Ron as the two headed for their dormitory.

________________________

            Hermione had the most wonderful sleep ever.  She believed the four-poster bed to be enchanted to help you sleep better.  Grabbing her scarlet bathrobe, she walked out of her room and into the bathroom.

            The lavatory was just as grand as the Common Room.  The ground was a cream colored marbled flooring; the walls were hard, sallow ruffles.  On the wall in the far back was a large painting of a unicorn prancing through a daisy-filled meadow. And in the middle of the entire room was a bathtub, big enough for you to do laps in and be dead tired afterwards.  And just like the one in the Prefects lavatory, this one had jets all around the ledges.  

            Hermione got into the tub and twisted some of the spouts along the ledges of the tub.  The first one gushed pure white foam, the next poured out what seemed to be diluted Honey, the third surged warm milk, and from the last one flowed lavender scented bubble bath.  Hermione felt as if she was in heaven.

            Then suddenly, just as Hermione was about to relax, a hard rapping on the door was heard.  The knocking continued, it kept getting harder and louder and stronger.  "What do you want Malfoy?" asked Hermione in a tensed drawl.

            "I want to take a bath," yelled Draco over the noise of his thumping fist.  "What do you think I want, mudblood, to see your fat arse?  Do not flatter yourself."

            Hermione turned beet red at those harsh, insulting words.  "Well, then you'd better wait for your turn Malfoy.  I just got in here."

            "What the bloody hell did you just say Granger?! Me, wait?! You must try to understand hat a Malfoy is never and will never be told to wait," screamed Draco, the perpetual thudding against the door getting louder and louder.  "So I command you, get out of there this instant."

            But Hermione didn't concede to Draco's command.  She just let the warm foam pull her down and under the surface of the lukewarm liquid and inhaled the wonderful aroma of her bath water before being fully submerged in it.

            As soon as she was out of breath, she resurfaced and got out of the tub.  It took her awhile to realize what the loud noise was.  It was Draco's uninterrupted knocking on the large wooden door.  She wrapped herself in her scarlet bathrobe and opened the bathroom door.  Draco's face was now as crimson as her robe, and his knuckled even more.  "Why the hell did you take so long, mudblood," he growled at Hermione.  He advanced towards her menacingly.  "Don't you ever do that again or Merlin knows I'm gonna kill you."

            "Is that a threat Malfoy?" Hermione asked haughtily.  "Do not ever threaten me—"

            Then it was as if a surge of heat smacked right into Hermione's left cheek causing her to flail backwards in intense pain.  She staggered for a moment, her hands feeling the throbbing on her face where Draco's hand had hit her, before regaining composure.  She pushed her long curls out of her face and looked up at Draco.  Then, what she saw in Draco nearly made her fall back once again.  Instead of the smug look he always had upon his chiseled face, Hermione found Draco in some sort of fright.  His eyes were wide and in them Hermione thought she saw disbelief and a tinge of regret.  

            _"But why? Is he sorry for hitting me?" _Hermione thought to herslef still clutching her cheek.

            However, the apologetic façade faded in a flash, and he reverted back to his usual conceited self.  Then with a last glare filled with disdain, Draco fled into the bathroom leaving Hermione alone by the doorway, still holding her left cheek and agape.

            Hermione slowly crept back into her room to get dressed still confused.  Did she really see remorse in Draco's eyes?  Or was that just wishful thinking?  The fact that he had slapped her suddenly drifted out of her mind.  All she could think about was whether she had really seen that trace of regret in his eyes.  

_________________________

*This is all for this chapter.  Hope you liked it.  If not, then tell me and maybe you could suggest some ideas to make it better.  I'm trying to prolong Draco's iciness as much as I could as to not hurry the story.  But I promise that things will look brighter for Hermione in the last few chapters.  Thank you for reading my work.  Hope you had fun.  And pleas R/R! Thanks!


	3. The Ice Prince

**Chapter 3:  The Ice Prince**

Classes were rough and Hermione was beat.  The whole day she had been running from one class to another and to emergency meetings Dumbledore had called and she wasn't getting any slack from Malfoy either.  Hermione wanted him to taunt her, tease her once again.  She wanted to forget about that look in his eyes.  She wanted him to hurt her.  And she wanted to hurt him back.  Hurt him so bad he'd feel the pain she felt that morning.  She waited for him to insult her, and that would be her cue to do something equally painful to him.  But he didn't.  He just sneer at her, scoffed at her, but kept his distance.  And this annoyed Hermione even more.  

_Why the bloody hell isn't he taunting me? That is not normal. _She thought to herself.  Usually Malfoy was up in his sleeve with all his jeers, calling her a Mudblood or some low-blow verbal abuse regarding her Muggle parents, or Harry or even her braininess.  But today he didn't.  

Hermione fled to their Common Room and planned to sleep right away. Her head hurt and she had no patience for small talk with Malfoy.  

She entered the Common Room and she saw Malfoy seated in one of the many chairs.  Hermione blocked her ears prepared for him to say something mean.  But again he didn't.  He just peered at her from over the magazine he was reading, _Racing Brooms from Across the Ages, _smirked and went back to his reading.

This irked Hermione once more and she marched to her room shaking her head.

_________________________

Draco glanced up from the magazine and watched Hermione leave the Common Room.  He frowned.  He didn't like what was happening.  He couldn't make her see his gentler side.  But she had.  He knew she had.  He could see it in her eyes.  The way she looked into him when he realized how much he had hurt her.

He wasn't supposed to hurt her.  He didn't like hurting people.  He didn't want to grow up like his evil father.  But he couldn't help himself sometimes.  He couldn't stop that irrational side of him.  But he decided that that would change.  He shouldn't hurt her.  He couldn't stoop that low. He did.  But he won't.  Not anymore.  He didn't want to turn into his father.  But in order to do that, it meant that he had to cage himself and stop tempting himself from hurting Granger.  

Then it was decided that he would never act rashly.  That only led to irrational behavior, and usually that meant violence.  So Draco, right then and there, after hitting Hermione, resolved not to taunt Granger anymore.

He found that hard to follow however.  The whole day he kept bumping into her.  In class, on the way to class and in those doggone emergency meetings he kept seeing Granger.  And it was hard to control his tongue from snapping at her.  But he found himself cool enough just to sneer and jeer at her.  And that was enough for him.  Though not as satisfying as calling her a Mudblood, but good enough.

_________________________

          Hermione jumped out of her bed.  She couldn't seem to fall asleep.  Every time she closed her eyes she could see Malfoy's eyes.  The way he had looked at her that morning.  But then they shifted to those ice-cold eyes he had shown her all day long.

          _What the hell is wrong with me?! This is not who I am.  I am not supposed to spend my time focusing on the stupid git! What have I been turned into?_  She thought to herself.  She pinched her right forearm tightly, forcing herself to wake up and get over Malfoy.

          _I am not going to think about him.  I don't care what I saw in those eyes.  I can't waste my time on him.  Go to sleep Hermione.  Got to sleep.  _She then closed her eyes and forced herself into Dreamland.

          But as she stared into the blackness behind her eyelids a two orbs appeared.  They were silver, and in they're center was a smaller ash-black orb.  They were his eyes.  They seemed peaceful.  Tranquil.  But then it was full of mixed emotions.  Hurt, pain.  Anger, melancholy.  And even repressed joy.  They stared at her.  Prying itself into her soul.  But then they jerked back.  They were now icy cold.  They dripped with ice water as they sneered at her.  Nearly making her cry.  They continued to sneer and stare at her, making her feel small.  She shrunk, as the orbs grew bigger.  A single drop of the ice water hit her.  It stung cold.  She burned with the iciness that had hit her.  She felt her whole body freeze….

          "Aaaah!"  she screamed quickly sitting back up in her bed.  Beads of sweat began to form on her temples.  She glanced at her bedside clock.  It read 7:30 am.  It was morning.  It was only a dream.  Only a dream.  

_________________________

          Draco heard a loud scream from her bedroom.  He jumped out off bed and was about to turn his doorknob and check if she was all right.  But he held back.

          _No, I can't.  I shouldn't._

He slowly lifted his hand off the knob and retreated to his bed.  He inhaled deeply and in a second, exhaled.  He then sat down on his bed.  _Relax Draco, relax.  It's just the Mudblood…_


End file.
